Dead Man Down and The Numbers Station

Two films from my LoveFilm subscription. The first is a spy thriller with John Cusack and Liam Cunningham. After failing during an assassination, burnt-out CIA agent Emerson (Cusack) is sent to guard a cipher clerk at a remote radio transmission station.

Although the film has a good premise, it lacks substance. Cusack is good enough, and he has good support from Malin Åkerman and Cunnigham, but there's the feeling that there should have been a proper adversary for him, although the limited budget doesn't really help. An opportunity missed.

The second film is a rather good revenge thriller starring Colin Farrell. The vengeance of a criminal, "Victor" (Farrell), against his fellow gang members is jeopardised by his involvement with a neighbour.

Although the film promises to be quite bleak, and even run-of-the-mill, it's raised by the unlikely and awkward romance between Victor and Beatrice (Noomi Rapace), and good support from Isabelle Huppert and Dominic Cooper. Recommended.

Pride and Glory

This is a cop drama through my LoveFilm subscription. A compromised detective, Ray Tierny (Edward Norton), is asked by his father (Jon Voight) to investigate the killing of four officers under his brother's (Noah Emmerich) command.

What might have been a fairly mundane film is elevated by both Norton and Colin Farrell as Ray's corrupt and out-of-control brother-in-law. The support is also excellent, especially Emmerich as a commander realising he's no longer in control. Recommended.

Total Recall

This is the remake of the 1990 Arnie film through my LoveFilm subscription. In a world devastated by chemical warfare, Doug Quaid finds his life torn apart when he goes to Rekall to have new memories implanted.

Despite the fantastic special effects (lots of car chases through the sky and an amazing shootout in a labyrinthine lift shaft), and the hints at Bladerunner, I don't think it compares too well to the original movie. Mainly this is because the supporting actors in the original were so strong: Beckinsdale is no Sharon Stone, and the Michael Ironside character isn't there to chew the scenery. Bryan Cranston is good as the villain, but Bill Nighy looks as if he's just got out of bed (and why does he have an American accent if it's supposed to be Britain?). There doesn't seem to be any real energy in the film, which is a shame.